Kerry Group, AIB join list of top companies tackling climate change

Kerry Group and AIB have emerged near the top of a list of Irish companies who are seeking to mitigate climate change.

CDP Ireland, part of an influential international investor-backed lobby group, said in a report, published on Monday, that the two companies and Irish-headquartered industrial group Ingersoll Rand each achieve an A-rating for the first time for efforts to tackle carbon emissions.

Ireland's top-rated companies, Kingspan and Accenture, had previously been highlighted in a report published last month by CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, which collects data for global investors with more than $100 trillion of assets under management, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Aviva Investors.

The number of companies in Ireland reporting on their carbon emissions rose 16 per cent last year to 202, according to the CDP Ireland report.

The report’s publication occurs as the landmark Paris accord on climate change, agreed last December, took effect on November 4th. The deal, agreed by 195 countries, aims to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

"As investors look to reduce risk by shifting investments to less carbon-intensive infrastructure, the spotlight will shine more intensely on corporate actions," said Paul Simpson, CDP's chief executive.